


Precipice

by Jaela



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Multi, Poly Suga yet again, Polyamory, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, everyone gets to be poly HOORAY, first years asadaisuga, this time Daichi gets to be poly too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 04:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaela/pseuds/Jaela
Summary: Suga has some complicated feelings about his two best friends. Hopefully he can just figure it out as he goes.





	Precipice

**Author's Note:**

> Shiptember, Day 7! Here's some AsaDaiSuga. I feel like I focus on AsaSugaNoya so much that I tend to forget how much potential the third year trio has? But I really enjoyed building a dynamic for them. I think I might want to expand on this someday; after editing this for AO3 I ended up feeling like I wanted to spend a lot more time in this space.
> 
> Originally written for SASO2016's Bonus Round 1, for this prompt! https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/13489.html?thread=4115889#cmt4115889

Suga is jittery, energy tingling electric in his fingertips, the way he used to feel when he tried to drink coffee (before he admitted that he can’t drink coffee without spending several hours trying to vibrate out of his own skin).

Yesterday, he asked Asahi what he thinks of Daichi. He’s not even sure  _why_  he asked. But he does know that today, he’s preparing to ask Daichi the same question in reverse.

Just before morning practice, Kurokawa claps him on the back and asks if he’s okay, and it’s the exact opposite of comforting. Suga does something with his face that might be a smile, he hopes, and says that he’s fine. That’s probably a lie.  _Is_  he fine? His extremities are kind of going numb and he feels like he can feel the veins in his arms, but he hasn’t decided if that’s bad yet. It’s sort of like being excited, if excitement were played through a cheap guitar amp with the distortion turned all the way up.

The thing is, Suga used to swap books about volleyball strategy with Daichi, and videos of notable youth matches with Asahi. A couple of weeks ago, Suga suggested it would be more convenient if they went over these things together instead, the three of them as a group. That seemed like a good idea when both of his fellow first years smiled and agreed, a  _great_  idea the first time they crowded around a computer together to review national championships from four years prior, and a  _terrible_  idea by the time Asahi was inviting them over to study and there were  _little cakes_  served with tea and Suga couldn’t focus on anything but stuffing his face and hoping that two really adorable, charming teammates wouldn’t think less of him for it.

It’s not new for Suga to develop crushes easily. Usually, he can laugh at himself.

It’s new to be this consumed, to suffer from butterflies that even working out until he’s exhausted won’t cure, to not be able to look in either direction when he’s standing at the net because on both sides of him is a face he can’t look at without losing track of what he’s doing.

Conventional wisdom tells Suga that he should focus on his studies, and on going the extra mile to improve in club activities without the help of an actual coach. Conventional wisdom says that, barring that, he should remember that his teammates are boys on even footing with him and calm down. Conventional wisdom’s last stand, when Suga can’t be held by the first two barriers, says that he should  _pick one._

Instead, Suga asks Daichi what he thinks of Asahi.

“What do you mean?” Daichi scratches his head. “He has a powerful spike, but he could work on his timing, I guess.”

“Mm,” Suga says. “I kind of mean… as a person?”

Daichi cocks his head at Suga like he doesn’t quite understand the question. When Suga doesn’t explain further, he takes some time to think about it, and ends up laughing. “He doesn’t leave much of an impression, does he? For someone I spend a lot of time with, anyway.”

Suga blinks at him wide-eyed, and knows he’s in trouble.

“I mean, he doesn’t exactly have a strong personality? That might have been too harsh. I can’t really explain it.”

Suga realizes Daichi is babbling because he misinterpreted Suga’s impression, so he smiles and waves a hand in front of his face. “No, it’s fine, I can see how someone would feel that way.”

“But… you feel differently?”

Suga is usually good at reading people. It’s unsettling when he’s close enough to someone to love them, but still just distant enough that sometimes he can’t tell what they’re thinking at all.

“He could hardly even say his own name on the first day of practice, so I ended up with a strong impression of him right away.” Suga doesn’t hold himself back from smirking and laughing, but there’s a cautious current of tension running underneath. He can’t work out what Daichi’s looking for when their eyes meet, or what Daichi might be filing away when he lowers his gaze.

“He was probably hoping everyone would forget that.” Daichi is joking back, so that much is a good sign.

“Then he picked the wrong team.” Suga brushes his hair behind his ear, and it falls right back to where it was immediately. “I remember a lot of things.”

“I should be careful, then, too.”

“You bet!” Sometimes it feels like Daichi is flirting. It feels like that a lot, actually. Suga likes it. But he doesn’t want to drift too far off track before he gets… whatever it is he came here for. He’ll know it when he hears it, probably. “Do you want to know what he thinks of you? Asahi, I mean.”

Daichi doesn’t say anything, but he looks curious enough that there’s probably no harm in continuing.

“Asahi thinks you’re cool, but kind of intimidating. He said you seem like the type who would be popular with girls.”

“Ahh, see, and now I’m the mean one!” Daichi ruffles up his own hair and groans. “He has to go and be nice, and then I sound like a jerk—wait, why were you two talking about me?”

Suga shrugs. “Isn’t it the same as what we’re doing right now?”

“Well, yeah, but… I don’t know, you asked.”

“Well, I asked Asahi too.”

Daichi stares at him hard, and his mouth twitches into the faintest suggestion of a smile. “What are you up to, Suga?”

“Bonding,” Suga says evenly, “with my teammates.”

Daichi sighs. “Do you want to know what I think about you?”

“That I’m the most amazing person you’ve ever met, you aspire to be just like me, and you want to treat me to ice cream?”

Daichi shoves against Suga’s shoulder and laughs loud, shaking his head like he can’t believe the audacity. “Almost completely wrong! I’m broke, you know.”

“You said almost!” Suga latches onto that and holds his head high. “So part of what I said was right.”

Daichi rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t deny it either.

 

\--

 

Suga is happy, but he’s also kind of in turmoil. There’s something he’s been working at, poking at a knotted up ball of thoughts and feelings, and he can’t help but feel like that conversation with Daichi just set something back. Asahi’s answer, Suga could have worked with. Being intimidated by someone is overcome easily enough, but not having any particular feelings at all? Where can anyone go with that?

It would help if he knew where he was trying to go. He wants Daichi and Asahi to like him, and he wants them to like each other. But when he tries to find the specifics, he comes up empty-handed.

There’s a week during which Asahi is out sick for three days, and Suga worries so hard he keeps chewing on his lower lip and sending aggressive texts to Asahi, threatening punishment if he doesn’t hurry up and get better soon. On the second day, at lunch, Daichi asks his own question.

“Suga?”

“Hm?” Suga punctuates his latest get-well-or-else message with an angry emoticon and hits send.

“Ah, it’s not a big deal, but…”

Suga raises an eyebrow at him. “Daichi.”

“Okay, so I guess it was on my mind. You interrogated both of us and you told me what Asahi said, but I never got to hear what  _you_  think of me.”

Suga’s instinct is to buy time by shoving food in his mouth, but he’s already finished his lunch. He plucks a carrot out of Daichi’s and chews on it loudly.

“You didn’t say what you thought of me, either.”

“Because you answered for me!” Daichi would probably insist he doesn’t pout, but god, Suga thinks, is he ever adorable when he pouts.

“Okay, fine. I think…” There are things that are safe to admit, and things that are dangerous. Suga isn’t sure which he’s about to say. “I think that you act too old for your age, but you do it so well that even real adults believe you sometimes. I think you’re uptight but reliable. I think you’re a mama’s boy, like me. And I like that you let me steal your food.” Just to emphasize, he pops a cherry tomato into his mouth.

Daichi’s mouth hangs open, and he struggles for a moment with forming human speech. “That’s—wow, I guess I left a better first impression than Asahi, at least?”

Suga swallows with some difficulty. He doesn’t really like tomatoes that much, but he’s committed to the theft for the principle of the thing. “I never said my impression of Asahi was  _bad._  I thought he was cute.”

“Cute,” Daichi echoes, a critical edge on the word.

“Sure,” Suga says. “Like you just want to slap him back to his senses when he starts to freak out, but you also kinda want to take care of him.”

“That’s weird!” Daichi laughs so suddenly he coughs, and has to gulp water to recover. “That’s really weird, Suga.”

“Is not.” Suga frowns. “It’s only the natural way to feel about that kind of person.”

Daichi stretches his neck, wipes his mouth even though there’s nothing there. “Why do you sound kind of lovestruck?”

Suga can feel himself start to panic, so he lays all his cards on the table before he can get there. “Why do you sound kind of jealous?”

For half a second, Daichi is resting his hand on Suga’s knee. And then it’s only leverage to push himself to his feet, withdrawn so quickly it may never have been there.

“Oh, Suga.”

That’s all Daichi says on the matter.

\--

“Daichi,” Suga says, “got confessed to the other day.”

Asahi’s shoulders go up defensively, the way they do when he’s asked a question he doesn’t know the right answer to. “Oh, uh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Suga takes the other end of the net Asahi is trying to fold, and keeps his tone casual and neutral. “He said no, though.”

“Who was it?” Asahi says, like he’s trying it out but isn’t sure if this is the part of the conversation that comes next.

“A second year. I don’t know her. Pretty, though.”

“Hm.” They finish stowing the net, and Asahi nods in thanks. “Why’d he turn her down?”

“Said he can’t handle a relationship right now.” When Asahi doesn’t say anything, Suga keeps talking. “Kind of too bad, isn’t it?”

“For… that girl?” Asahi says.

“Well. Yeah, I guess.”

Asahi takes a deep breath, and lowers his shoulders. He pivots on his foot to face Suga directly, but doesn’t look at him. “Suga, are you trying to set us up or something?”

Suga isn’t sure how long he stands there in stunned silence. He watches Asahi’s face shift through several shades of red.

“I…” He kind of feels like he’s in freefall.

“It’s just—“ Asahi snaps his mouth shut, then opens it again. “You ask these questions. And then it seems like you’re hinting at something, but…”

Suga scuffs his shoe against the gym floor, and it squeaks. “I didn’t really mean it… like that.”

“Then how?”

Suga shakes his head. If only he knew.

“I like,” Asahi starts, and looks around like he’s making sure there’s no one else to overhear, “someone else. So…”

Suga smiles, crooked with his brows furrowed low, and punches Asahi in the stomach. “Good for you, I mean it. Sorry for being weird before, but I’m cheering for you.”

Asahi would probably thank him, if he hadn’t just had the air knocked out of his lungs.

It’s enough.

 

\--

 

Daichi finds Suga crying in the stairwell, and just silently sits beside him and hands him a pack of tissues. He doesn’t say anything at all.

“Wanna know the stupid thing I’m crying about?” Suga says. “You’ll laugh.”

“I won’t,” Daichi says.

Suga sniffs loudly. “Asahi doesn’t like you.”

Daichi leans in, tries to catch Suga’s eye, but he can’t do that just yet. “What’d I do to him?”

“Nah, nothing,” Suga says. “He doesn’t hate you. He just doesn’t like you romantically.”

Daichi laughs incredulously, and Suga points at him like  _there it is, I told you it’d be funny._

“Why would Asahi like me?”

“I have no idea!” Suga throws his hands up. “I don’t know. I’m not even sad, I’m just confused. I wanted him to.”

Daichi clears his throat and fidgets. “Um. Why?”

“Because,” Suga says, and he’s laughing at himself again because this is about to be the lamest confession of all time, “ _I_  like you. I wanted him to feel the same way.”

“Uh…” Daichi fidgets some more. “Okay. I really, really don’t get it. But if it helps, I like you too.”

Suga gives him a watery smile. “It does help. Thank you.”

Daichi smiles back, looking about as unsure of himself as Suga’s ever seen him.

“I know you don’t want to date anyone right now. Kind of helps that I’m not the first person to confess to you this week, so I knew ahead of time.”

Yet more fidgeting. “Um, Suga…”

“When you are ready, will you let me know? So I can ask again.”

Daichi nods. “Yeah. I can do that.”

Suga squeezes his hand. Daichi squeezes back.

“So what’s… this stuff about Asahi?”

Suga scratches at his cheek where it’s itchy now from tear tracks. “That’s what I’m confused about. I want him to like me. I want you both to like me. But he already said he likes someone else.”

Suga can actually hear Daichi swallow. “Suga… when he said he liked someone else, did he mean someone other than you, or other than me?”

“Other than…” Suga can’t work out what the question means, the way his head is twisted around right now. “…you? I think?”

“Yeah,” Daichi says. “Look, he’s in love with you. It’s obvious. I think he even knows that I know.”

“Oh my god,” Suga says. And then, “You’re not allowed to hate him now.”

Daichi crosses his arms. “I don’t. I don’t understand, but… I don’t understand you either, and, well.” He pokes Suga in the side, which makes him jump. “Look… what you’re saying is that you like both of us, right?”

“Yeah. I think… yeah.” It’s overwhelming, how freeing it feels to say it. To give it a name, in simple terms.

“And you want… what, to date both of us?”

“Oh my god,” Suga says again. “Do you think I’m a bad person?”

Daichi sighs. “No… no, I don’t think that. I think you have a big heart.  _Too_  damn big sometimes. But I like that about you, too.”

Suga wants to kiss him. He thinks maybe it would be okay if he just did it, but he holds himself back.

“Give me… until the end of the month. I have some things I need to sort out, but if you haven’t changed your mind when break starts, I’ll have an answer for you.”

“I won’t change my mind,” Suga promises.

“Good.” Daichi grins, and scrubs at Suga’s face with his thumbs. “Now go find Asahi and ask him out before he drowns in his own anxiety.”

Suga runs, and runs, and finally the ache in his legs provides some relief.


End file.
